The grasshopper "attack"

Today was a LONG day for us, even though it only had 23 hours. First, we were invited to breakfast at the AG church in McLaughlin by Josephine, a very energeting and interesting Native American from town. Several of her beautiful kids and nephews came early to the church to help her prepare it, as well. Then, it was on to the road for a 100+ mile day. We lost an hour crossing in to the Central Time zone as we crossed the Missouri River. Shortly before that, we went through an area where the road was absolutely covered with grasshoppers! They didn't really "attack" us, but it almost seemed that way. Made stops in Mobridge for some buffalo jerky, and a few other towns for cold water and even an ice cream stop. The sun continued to bear down on us. While we are cycling, it does not seem so bad, as there is always a breeze. When we stopped, however, the mid-90 degree heat was very apparent. Some members of the team had some flat tires and were feeling the heat, and consequently did not get here into Ipswich, South Dakota, until the rest of us had begun dinner at a Baptist Church. The crowd was small, so we did an informal presentation, and had a lot of laughs, as well. Today marked the sixth consecutive day of cycling at least 78 miles, so we are very much looking forward to an easier day tomorrow. After church, we shall cycle only about 26 miles to Aberdeen. All in all, the tour continues to go well. The team members from the Minneapolis area are starting to get very excited as we shall enter their home area this coming week, and have our "half-way celebration." We continue to appreciate your prayers, emails, text messages, and comments.
Tim